Google’s Plan to Retire their URL Shortening Service

Once upon a time, URLs got SO long that people wouldn’t in a million years type them in manually and micro-blogging services, like Twitter, had a character limit which included the length of the URL in your post. So, people started shortening URLs by coming up with a unique, shorter URL which simply redirected to the much longer, real URL.

Google came up with their own, which we’ve all come to know and love. But, here’s the problem, the service doesn’t offer what’s called “Deep Linking.”

What’s “Deep Linking?”

Deep Linking is the ability for a clicked link to open a native app, install it, and then actually take you where you were wanting to go in the first place.

For example, maybe you click a shortened link to a virtual meeting but you don’t have the native app you’re supposed to have. Well, it would prompt you to download the app, install it, and then open it. BUT, you’d have to go back to that email again to find the link to open within that app. There has to be a better way. Well, there is. Google calls them Dynamic Links.

Dynamic Links survive the app install process so users can install an app and go straight to the page within that app they originally requested.

Part of their app-focused Firebase project, Google is planning on Deep Linking replacing our old friend goo.gl. Here’s how Google put in their announcement post on Friday.

[Our goo.gl] URL Shortener has been a great tool that we’re proud to have built. As we look towards the future, we’re excited about the possibilities of Firebase Dynamic Links, particularly when it comes to dynamic platform detection and links that survive the app installation process.

For Consumers

On April 13, 2018, anonymous users and users who have never created short links before will not be able to create new short links via goo.gl. If you are looking to create new short links, use Firebase Dynamic Links or use an alternative service like Bitly or Ow.ly.

If you have existing goo.gl short links, you can continue to use all features of goo.gl console for a period of one year, until March 30, 2019, when they will discontinue the management console.

After March 30, 2019, all links will continue to redirect to the intended destination. Your existing short links will not be migrated to the Firebase console, however, you will be able to export your link information from the goo.gl console.

For Developers (like us)

On May 30, 2018, only projects that have accessed URL Shortener APIs before will still be able to create short links. Eventually you’ll need to transition to the new FDL API short links which will automatically detect the user’s platform and send the user to either the web or your app, as appropriate.

Like consumers, all existing shortened links will continue to redirect but they will not be migrated to the new Firebase platform and therefore won’t support “deep linking.”

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Our Thoughts

Firebase is a very app-focused project, more so than a web-focused project.  I’m a little frustrated by their decision to sunset goo.gl in favor for a new service in large part because it offers features that Progressive Web App developers can’t use anyway (at least not yet).

No big deal, Google.  All good things must come to an end.